Spring cleaning season brings renewed hantavirus warning across the interior

“It’s usually the rodents whose droppings and urine that is just sitting there for the entire winter time,” said Dr. Muhammad Mukarram, Interior Health medical health officer. “And now then, when you’re going in and you’re just cleaning up… those infections, they get in the air and you’re stirring up the dust, and then you inhale it.”

Doctors say the virus spreads when contaminated particles become airborne and are inhaled. To reduce the risk, health officials recommend ventilating enclosed spaces before beginning any cleanup.

“Make sure that the area is ventilated… open the windows, open the doors, keep it open for like thirty minutes before you start cleaning up,” Mukarram added.

Interior Health also recommends wearing protective equipment when cleaning areas where rodents may have been present. Officials advise using gloves, eye protection and an N95 mask while avoiding dry sweeping or vacuuming, which can push contaminated particles into the air.

Instead, droppings and nesting materials should be sprayed or soaked with disinfectant before being carefully wiped up and sealed for disposal.

“Make sure you get masks, something like N95… wear gloves so that your hands don’t get contaminated… and then goggles because sometimes it just splashes on you while cleaning,” Mukarram said.

Symptoms of hantavirus can resemble the flu, including fever, cough, headaches and body aches. While severe infections remain rare, officials say some mild cases may go unnoticed.

The warning also comes amid renewed public attention surrounding a separate hantavirus strain linked to a recent cruise ship outbreak in South America.

Health officials note that strains can vary across different parts of the world.

Interior Health says taking proper precautions during spring cleaning can significantly reduce the risk of infection.

by Jeremy Russo

Spring cleaning season brings renewed hantavirus warning across the interior

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